The Infernal Departed

In anticipation of The Departed, I rented Infernal Affairs from Netflix. I liked Infernal Affairs quite a bit. I thought the story and acting were great. I was really curious to see what Scorsese would do with the story. The answer is good things. He kept all the essentials, two undercover moles, one in the police force--one in organized crime, and made a wonderful American film. He changes the motivation of the main characters unveiling that rugged individualism that has been a hallmark of our culture for a long, long time.

While there was a tinge of dark comedy in the original (really a natural defense reaction to the violence), Scorsese embraces fully his wonderful characters that deliver their comedic lines so well. Alec Baldwin, Jack Nicholson, and especially Mark Wahlberg add a very entertaining dimension to the film, that fleshes out 150 minutes of film nicely.